Ryan Excites GOP Convention Delegates

Mitt Romney may be the one at the top of the GOP presidential ticket, but it’s Paul Ryan who’s the rock star.

The House Budget Committee chairman has delegates at the Republican convention all pumped up, Politico reports. They adore him for his passion and bedrock conservatism.

“I liked Romney, but I love the ticket,” Linda Lepak, a lawyer who supported Rick Santorum during the primaries, told Politico. “Paul Ryan can win back the hearts and minds of the young people in the country. I have five grown children, and he speaks to them. He’s just awesome. It’s made me excited.”

Elizabeth Poirier, a Massachusetts delegate and state representative, feels the same way. “This was a caffeine choice for Mitt. It gave him energy,” she told the news service.

Indeed, Romney’s choice of Ryan gives the presidential candidate himself more credibility, the delegates say. “Is Mitt Romney Ronald Reagan? No. But he’s alive, and he’s a safe alternative to Obama. I’m confident he can lead the country,” Maine delegate Stavros Mendros told Politico. “He is delivering a stronger economic message, and I think people are starting to wake up. And Paul Ryan puts Wisconsin and Minnesota in play for us.”

Ryan makes it easier for Romney to be himself – cool and self-contained in contrast to Ryan’s fire. “I like Mitt Romney OK, but I love Paul Ryan,” a New York delegate who requested anonymity told Politico. “Ryan gave Romney the extra assist he needed. He’s really smart, he’s young, and he believes in something.”